Unbeaten Farwell may get test

September 16, 2003

By Dave Wagner

SO FAR, SO GOOD for the Farwell Steers.
Off to a 3-0 start — and relatively healthy with a smallish roster — second-year coach Jacob Thompson thinks his team may face its stiffest test to date on Friday night at Sundown.
“We need this,” Thompson said of the upcoming task. “We need to play in a game that really means something.
“We felt like the Petersburg game (a 14-7 win) would be pretty tough, and it was, but we need a game like this. It’s going to be good to play against a team that’s sound.”
Junior Hugo Vazquez has rushed for 395 yards on 61 carries and scored six touchdowns to lead the offense. Meantime, Farwell’s defense has held its opponents to 19 points and 435 total yards, including just 136 on the ground.
The Steers, who generally dress less than 20 for varsity games, have had one significant injury — sophomore backup tight end-defensive tackle Clint Knight suffered a knee injury in last Friday’s 50-0 romp over Smyer and is expected to be lost for the season.
Thompson said he will probably move up a few junior varsity players for this week’s game to make sure the team has enough bodies available.

CLOVIS HIGH SENIOR MATT APPELMAN had never won a varsity cross country race before Saturday, but he was confident about his chances in the Clovis Invitational at Ned Houk Park.
“I knew I could do it,” said Appelman, who ran a time of 16 minutes, 52 seconds to hold off teammates Brian Romero (17:03) and Tyrell Northcutt (17:07) and take individual honors. “Still, it’s nice to do it.”
First-year CHS cross country coach Brian Stacy confirmed that Appelman was ready to put everything he had into helping the boys team win its third consecutive team title in the meet.
“Matt invited all his teachers and coaches (to watch),” Stacy said. “He wanted to win it, you could certainly tell that.”

FORMER EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY volleyball player and current Clovis Christian volleyball coach Ceil Boatman is scheduled to be one of 11 inductees this year into the ENMU Hall of Honors.
The ceremony is scheduled for halftime of Eastern’s Homecoming football game against Angelo State at Greyhound Stadium on Oct. 11. Boatman, a hitter-middle blocker for the Zias, played from 1979-82.
Boatman, currently the secondary principal at CCS, is in her ninth season as the Lady Eagles’ volleyball coach.